Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, May 9: Much to the annoyance of the residents, authorities have failed to construct a footbridge over river Jhelum in North Kashmir’s Sumbal town, despite the passing of five years.
The connectivity of nearly a dozen villages is affected after authorities decided to dismantle an old wooden bridge of the Town following an adverse safety report. The bridge was part of a vital connectivity network of the area. Besides connecting Sumbal with Safapora, the bridge connects several other villages of the district.
The residents said all the essential facilities including a graveyard is on the other side of the river and in absence of the bridge they face hardships. “We have to carry coffins on our shoulders, then on to boats in order to bury them in graveyard that lies on another side of the town,” Bashir Ahmad, a local said.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sonawari and Higher Education Minister, Mohammad Akbar Lone, in NC-led Congress Government in January 2014. However, the bridge is nowhere near completion.
With an estimated cost of Rs 4.1 crore, Roads and Buildings department started the construction work but left it midway. “For the last two years the bridge received no funding leading to the suspension of work,” an official at the R&B said.
The residents complained that the absence of the bridge forced them to take a long detour through another village from Sumbal or use overcrowded fishing boats to reach another side of the river. “In absence of the footbridge in the town people including student community and patients are facing hardships. We have to cover a long distance to reach on the other side of the town. During inclement weather, it becomes difficult to cross the river in boats due to high water flow,” Javaid Ahmad, a local said.
Another local, Mohammad Subhan, showed dissatisfaction over the government’s move to dismantle the old bridge and its failure to construct a new one. “The old bridge was declared unsafe and dismantled. Despite the passage of five years, the bridge is nowhere. Authorities are turning a blind eye towards the suffering of the people,” he said
Shabir Ahmad, Executive Engineer R&B, Sumbal division said that a sudden rise in water level has hampered the construction work. “Two embankments are complete but the middle pillar could not be completed due to the rise in water level,” he said.
He added that scarcity of funds delayed the construction of work. “The project was under State sector and inadequate funds were provided for it but the Government has designated it a languishing project. Funding is not an issue now, “he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
